Just off the top of my head, David, in my area of SW Washington, "hard-to-reach" can be quite literal - people with low literacy who live in rural areas and who lack transportation, internet, sometimes reliable phone access, and who live far from where services are traditionally provided and may not know that such services exist.  While the need may be great,  how do we reach these folks to even gauge their interest?  That's hard to do.
 
KC Andrew
Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
Adult Basic Education - Professional Development Services
360/485-2338
kandrew at sbctc.ctc.edu <mailto:kandrew at sbctc.ctc.edu> 
 

________________________________

From: learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of David J. Rosen
Sent: Thu 1/18/2007 4:59 AM
To: learningdisabilities at nifl.gov
Subject: [LearningDisabilities 877] Hard-to-reach learners



Learning Disabilities Colleagues,

A colleague has asked me to speak to a group of adult literacy education
teachers about how to serve "hard-to-reach" adult learners.  I solicit
your help in answering this question. I am interested in hearing about
your experience in "recruiting" or enrolling "hard-to-reach" adults with
low literacy skills. I am also interested in hearing from adult
learners, some of whom may be in your classes or may be people you
tutor, some of whom may be colleagues on this list.  Perhaps you could
share this question with your students and post their responses or they
could reply directly on this list or to me by e-mail.

Of course, "hard-to-reach" could mean many things.  What does it mean to
you? And "serving" hard-to-reach adult learners might be an important
part of the answer to this question.  For example, if one of the reasons
adults with low literacy (or numeracy) skills don't step forward for
help is because they are hiding their reading writing or numeracy
disabilities or difficulties, then they will be reluctant to come to
classes in their community where others would find out.

So, from your experience, who are  "hard-to-reach"  low-literate adults
,and what has been effective in recruiting and enrolling them?

Thanks for your help.

David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net


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